Wood-block flooring



arch 1?, 19311. F. E. BRUCE ET AL 1,796,884

WOOD BLOOK FLOORING Filed April 4 1923 7 ing showing the wings blocks in fp PATENT OFFICE I FRANK E. BRUCE, CHARLES A. BRUCE, AND JAMES B. HAYGOOD, OF MEEPHIS, TEN- NESSE E, ASSIGNORS TO E. L. BRUCE COMPANY, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, A COR- PORATION OF DELAWARE Application filed April 4,

Our invention relates to Wood block flooring and one of the objects of the invention is to provide what is known as a wing block and which is used when laying rectangular blocks diagonally of the wall line of the room. The diagonal laying of block fiooring is a preferred method of laying for many reasons, among which is the fact that when so laid, the floor shows up to much better advantage, one block appearing dark and the adjacent block appearing light, by reflected light.

When the blocks are laid in diagonal fashion, then, along the edges of the room, it is necessary to provide a filling-in block of other shape than rectangular. This is usually done nowby mitreing the pieces on the job, but this is an expensive operation. When these pieces are made in the factory, difiiculty is experienced in manufacturing them' accurately because one of the pieces is a very 7 small piece. Furthermore, such pieces are diificult to transport satisfactorily.

Referring to the drawing for a more complete disclosure of the invention:

Fig. l is a plan view of a section of floor- 'osition; Y one of the Fig. 2 is a bottom plan'view 0 blocks; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are side block shown in Fig. 2.

The rectangular blocks' 2 are composed of a plurality of pieces 3 of strip flooring which are secured together in any suitable manner to make a unitary block. The grain of the pieces 3 runs lengthwise so that the grain of each block 2 is at right angles to the grain of the adjacentbloc In laying block flooring diagonally of the room, it is preferred to start from a central point of the room and build the floor outwardly toward the sides of the room. When the last of the square blocks 2 have been laid, then we lay our wing blocks 4 in position. The wing blocks may be laid with one edge directly in contact with the wall 14 of the room, or the customary line borders or strips of floor 5 may be inserted between the bloc and the wall.

The wing block as shown comprises a elevations of the that shown. In using strips 0 WOOD-BLOCK FLOORING- 1928. Serial No. 267,456.

plurality of pieces of strip flooring 6 united along theiredges by tongue and groove connections 7. The strips are securely held together in any suitable manner, that shown being a metal spline 8 forced into locking engagement with the sides of the transverse grooves 9, all as fully disclosed and claimed in the copendin application of Charles W. Allen, Serial 0. 198,085, filed June 11, 1927. The diagonal edges 10 of the wing block will be of the same length as the sides 15 of the rectangular block 2 that they are in contact with. The width of the wing block, will accordingly be the distance between the ends of the diagonal edges 10. It will be clear that the length of the sides 11 may vary as the necessities of the situa tion vary and may be equal or unequal in length, depending in turn on whether or not the sides of the room are true.

In the wing block shown, grooves 16 are provided on all sides for the reception of either an integral adjacent tongue or of a slip tongue for holding the wing block in position. The wing block may be made of pieces of equal width as shown in Fig. 1,-

pieces 120i 2 inch and 2 pieces 13 of 1 inch flooring, it being necessary, in this particular case, in order to fit the block between the 6% inch square blocks 2, to knock. ofi slightly the two outside edges of the two outside pieces of flooring 12. An

analogous situation existswith 9 blocks, the wing block bein ing four pieces of 2% inch pieces of 2 inch stock.

While we have disclosed a construction for holding the wing blocks in position and in which there are grooves on all sides, of the wing block, it will be understood that other means for abuttin and holding the blocks in position may e em loyed than stock floorbuilt up by usstock and two inch square ing, having a groove and tongue on o posite edges of the strip, it will be convement at times to have one of the edges 11 of the block grooved and the other edge 11 provided with a tongue.

When the wing blocks are made of strips of equal width, as shown in Fig. 1, the pieces can be so joined that the joints in the square blocks will correspond with those inthe wing blocks, when these joints contact.

It will be clear from the above description that the length of the diagonal sides 10 of the wing block will be determined by the length of the sides of the rectangular blocks; that the side of the wing block facing the wall will be determined, in the main, also by the length of the sides of the rectangular blocks; but that the length of the sides 11 of the wing block'do not need to be definitely fixed. i

We are aware that our invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and we therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects, as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description, to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we'consider as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A floor made of blocks laid diagonally of the room, a continuous series of wing blocks fitting between the entire length of the wall of the room and the first named blocks, the said wing blocks being polygonal in outline and having more than three sides and being composed of strips of wood fastened together and lying substantially perpendicular to the wall of the room.

2. A floor made of blocks laid diagonally of the room, a wing block fitting between the wall of the room and the first named blocks, the said wing block composed of strips of wood fastened together and lying substantially perpendicular to the wall of the room and means on ;the wing block engaging the first named blocks for abutting and holding the wing block in position in the floor.

3. A wing block composed of a plurality of strips of wood, means for holding the strips of wood in assembled relationship,

the said block being polygonal in outline and comprising abase wit respect to which the strips are substantially perpendicular and diagonal sides which are at an acute angle to the base and means on the diagonal sides for abutting and holding the wing block in position in the floor.

4. A wingblock composed of a plurality of strips of wood, means for holding the strips of wood in assembled relationship,

the said block being polygonal in outline and comprising a base with respect towhich the the diagonal sides for abutting and holding the wing block in position in the floor.

5. A wing block composed of a plurality of strips of wood, means for holding the strips of wood in assembled relationship, the said block being polygonal in outline and comprising a base with respect to which the strips are substantially perpendicular, diagonal sides which are at an acute angle to the base and longitudinal sides which are perpendicular to the base.

6. A wing block composed of a plurality of strips of wood, means for holding the strips of wood in assembled relationship the said block being polygonal 'n outline and having five sides.

7 A wing block composed of a plurality of strips 0 wood, ineans for holding the strips of wood in assembled relationship, the said block being polygonal in outline and having five sides and comprising a basewith respect to which the strips are substantially perpendicular.

8. A wing block composed of a plurality of strips 0 wood, means for holding the strips of wood in assembled relationship, the said block being polygonal in outline and comprising a base with respect to which the strips are substantially perpendicular, diagonal sides which are at an acute angle to the base and longitudinal sides which are perpendicular to the base, the said diagonal sides and the base being grooved.

9. A wing block composed of a plurality of strips 0 wood, means for holding the strips of wood in assembled relationship, the said block being polygonal in outline and comprising a base with respect to which the strips are substantially perpendicular, diagonal sides which are at an acute angle to the base and longitudinal sides which are perpendicular to the base, the said diagonal sides, the base and at least one of the longitudinal edges being grooved.

10. A wing bloc composed of a plurality of strips of wood united along thelr longitudinal edges b tongue and groove joints, means for I101 ing the strips of wood in assembled relationship, the said block being pol gonal in outline and cemprising a base and diagonal sides, the longltudinal edges of all the strips being at an angle to the diagonal sides and means on the diagonal sides for abutting and holding the wing block in position in the floor.

11. A wing block composed of a plurality of strips of wood, means for holding the strips of wood in, assembled relationship,

the said block being polygonal in outline and comprising a base and diagonal sides, the longitudinal edges of all the strips being at an angle to the dia onal sides and means on I the diagonal sides %or abutting and holding the wing block in osition in the floor.

12. A wing bloc composed of a plurality of strips of wood united along their edges by tongue and groove joints, means for holding the strips of wood in assembled relationship, the said blocks being polygonal in outline and comprising a base and diagonal sides, and means on the diagonal sides for abutting and holding the wing block in position in a floor. t In testimony whereof we aflix our signaures.

\ F. E. BRUCE. c. A. BRUCE. JAMES B. HAYGOOD. 

